Game Review: NBA 2K7

It can be tricky to make a good game even better. If you're trying to improve on the best there is, it's much harder. Take NBA 2K7, for example. Easily the best basketball title released this year (and arguably of recent years as well), NBA 2K7 upped the gameplay, the AI and the number of options that players can access. Not really a lot of room for improvement, right? Enter the PS3 version, which provides a new way to fire off free throws and places much more emphasis on the controller and the shot stick.

One thing that the people behind NBA 2K7 spent a ton of work on for this year's title is the Signature Shooting style for every single player. Everything that goes into a player's movements for a jumper or a low-post move has been accurately captured, ranging from little hops when a player lands, to how they turn their feet during a shot. Whether it's Paul Pierce's lingering follow through or the quick snap from Steve Nash, the detail that was put into capturing the individual quirks of every player as he takes a shot is simply incredible. What's more, the detail carries over to free-throw shooting, where every player's particular shooting rituals and stroke is taken into account.

different feel for different players

With the other versions of 2K7, you relied on the right analog stick to make your free throws, which involved timing the release of that stick with the release of the person at the line. Slower shooters, like Shaq, would require a much longer hold on the stick to accurately make a bucket. What makes the PS3 version of the game stand out is the reassignment of this feature to the SIXAXIS controller. No longer will you rely on stick work to make free throws; instead, you'll pull the SIXAXIS back toward you then push it forward at the right time to release the ball from your player's hand. In effect, you're "physically" making a free throw, and you may even find yourself gripping the controller in the same manner that you would if you were shooting the ball itself. While you always needed to pay attention to when you released a shot before (too early or too late versus a perfect release), you now have to contend with how exactly you wind up pushing the controller forward as well. A slight twist to your hand in either direction may place some extra rotation on the ball that you don't want or send it sailing to the left or right of the rim.

know how each player shoots

Now just because you're physically moving the controller to take the shot doesn't mean that you don't have to pay attention to the players at the line. In fact, you have to know how each player on your team shoots even more this time around, because you'll need to hold the controller back much more before you push forward. Fortunately, good free-throw shooters have a larger window that they can cleanly make a basket compared to average ones.